Bionature, 38(4) 2018 : 225-231 ISSN: 0970-9835 (P), 0974-4282 (O) © Bionature HITHERTO UNREPORTED ALGA, CHARA (C. palanense ) SP. NOV. FROM THE EOCENE LIGNITE OF BARSINGHSAR NEAR BIKANER, RAJASTHAN, INDIA R. HARSH 1* AND S. SHEKHAWAT 1 1Palaeobotany Lab, Department of Botany, M. S. Govt. Girls College Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334001, India. Email: [email protected] Article Information Editor(s): (1) Ahmed Medhat Mohamed Al-Naggar, Cairo University, Egypt. Reviewers: (1) Blagoy Uzunov, Sofia University, USA. (2) Ms. Kusmiati, Research Center for Biotechnology –LIPI, Indonesia. (3) G. M. Narasimha Rao, Andhra University, India. Received: 24 th May 2018 th Accepted: 5 July 2018 Original Research Article Published: 11 th July 2018 _________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The lignite deposite at Barsinghsar possess almost all plant groups either in form of spores and portions or fragmented portions of vegetative and fertile form. The present paper deals with a macroscopic green alga Chara L. collected from Barsinghsar Eocene lignite near Bikaner. The lignite sample has both parts; the vegetative portion (thallus / filament) and the fertile organs (globule and nucule) of the Chara L. This is first record of occurrence of all the body portions of an alga in one specimen. Palaeoecological conditions during Eocene in Rajasthan are also described. Keywords: Eocene; lignite; barsinghsar; alga Chara L.; Rajasthan; India. INTRODUCTION Rao and Mishra (1949). Rao and Vimal (1950, 1952), Sah and Kar (1974) described In Western Rajasthan lignite deposits pollen and spores from Palana lignite. Harsh are exposed at several places either in and Sharma (1992) studied a carbonized subsurface (about 20-30 meter below the wood from Palana and identified its ground level) or as open mines, e.g. Palana, inorganic and organic content. Tripathi, Barsinghsar, Gurha, Giral, Matasukh etc. Srivastava and Sharma (1998) described Palynological studies of Bikaner-Nagaur plant microfossil of many plants from the Basin have been made by many workers lignite of Barsinghsar. These microfossils like Singh & Dogra (1988), Kar (1995), include algal filaments, fungal hyphae, Ambwani & Singh (1996), Kar & Sharma sporangia, spores, cuticle, pollen grains as (2001), Tripathi et al. (2008) etc., and of well as peculiar kind of seed and Palana beds by Rao and Mishra (1949) and fructification. Sah and Kar (1974). The occurrence of oil bearing fresh and brackish water alga Fossil algae related to Chara L. have Botryococcus braunii Kutzing was reported been described from many other portion of for the first time in the lignite of Palana by India e.g. Sahni and Rao (1943), Rama Rao (225) BIONATURE : 2018 (1955), Horn af Rantzien (1957), Bhatia and separated by using pressure on cover slip. Mathur (1978), Tewari and Sharma (1972a, Precautions were taken to prevent b), Lakhanpal et al. (1976), Singh (1980). contamination of living material were taken. The first record of Charophyte from India is The microfossils were examined in Chara malcolmsonii Sowerby. Rao and Rao transmitted light with low(40X) and high (1939) described 13 species of charophytes power(1000X) objectives of the QUASMO from Rajahmundry. Other contributors in this advanced trinocular coaxial microscope field are Sahni and Rao (1943). Interestingly with magnification range 40X to 1600X. As none of the above mentioned researchers microscope was connected to computer could report a material bearing all body through digital USB Camera having software organs of an alga. The present report named Capture Pro , so photograph were includes filaments as well as its sex organ taken by this camera stored automatically in i.e. globule and nucule of Chara palanense. a computer. This software has also facility of measurement. As some structures were not MATERIALS AND METHODS very clear, so hand drawings were also prepared. For classification and phylogeny The present lignite sample of Eocene of charophytes Grambast (1962, 1974) and age was collected from Barsinghsar situated for terminology Horn af Rantzien (1958) 20 Km South of the Bikaner city and six km were followed. All figured specimens/slides west of the Palana lignite deposit of Bikaner are stored in Palaeobotany laboratory of M. district. It is an open mine having an S. Govt. Girls College Bikaner approximately 45m thick layer of lignite at 20-30m below ground level. 20 gram sample DESCRIPTION of lignite blackish in colour and friable on drying intermingled with yellow coloured Vegetative part (branchlet) as well as resin also. For maceration we followed both reproductive organ of Chara i.e. Nucule Howard (1964) and Salvador ENCISO-DE (female) and Globule (male) are present in LA VEGA (1992). Sample was first washed this sample. 3 sample of vegetative part, 3 and heated in Bunsen busner flame to sample of Globule and 2 sample of Nucule remove any superficial contamination and were observed in present macerated then crushed and washed with distilled sample. Preservation is very good for water and transferred to Schultze’s explaining almost details of the organs. macerating fluid (concentrated HNO 3) for one week to oxidize coal minerals like (a) Vegetative axis (branch let)/ Sulphate, Sulphide and Carbon into humic Characeits (Tuzson 1914) / Charaxis acid. After a week it was washed with (Harris 1939) (Fig. A, B, C) distilled water again and treated with 10 % KOH for an hour to dissolve humic acid and ManMany samples preserving short axis liberate pollen and spores The material were collected. The preserved length of which settled down at the bottom was fragmented axis is 780 µm. It is a corticated washed 4-5 times with distilled water. Plant species (comparable to C. fragilis Desv. in microfossils recovered were first mounted in Lois. , C. zeylenica Willd. and C. hatei S. C. Canada balsam, but microfossil remain Dixit). It has longitudinal lines indicating aggregated in it, so mounted in glycerin jelly marks of contiguous cortical cell (Fig. A, C) as they mostly remain away from each as seen in the living species (Fig. B). other, if there is an aggregation they may be Cortical cells of both lateral sides are (226) BIONATURE : 2018 comparative lighter in colour. Average (c) Globule (the male sex organ) (Fig. diameter of a cortical cell is 50 µm. Two D,E,F) nodes are indistinctly visible (Fig. A arrow) but clear in hand drawing (Fig. C). Length of The complete structure is dark brown in an internode is about 550 µm. The diameter colour and spherical in shape. It’s diameter of an axis is about 190 µm. Normally it is 200 µm. It shows two distinct zones: i.e. ranges from 150-250 µm (Reid & Grove the peripheral light coloured (transparent) 1921). At a node darker spots are visible zone and the central darker zone. Peripheral which probably marks of bract cells these zone is made up of curved cell (shield cell) are either not preserved well or detached forming spherical covering. Its width is about during maceration. 30 µm. (b) Nucule (the female sex organ) (Fig. G, Distinct constrictions are visible (Fig. G H, I) arrow) at the joining of two shield cells. An ellipsoid oogonium is visible, base is broad and round whereas apex is In the centre of inner side (concave comparatively narrower (Fig. G). Complete side) of each shield cell a rod shaped dark body is not compressed as the shape is not line is clearly visible indicating the deformed. Preserved size is 530 µm long manubrium. Manubrium has primary and including corona and 280 µm across in secondary capitulum which ultimately middle, widest i.e. 310 µm at the base. The develops 2-4 long antheridial filaments, is L/W (length / width) ratio of nucule is 1.89. not preserved in sample. About 200-250 Length of corona itself is 70 µm and width is cells of each antheridial filament forms 160 µm. As it is detached from the branch biflagellate, coiled antherozoids. Due to let either on maturity or during centrifugation manubrium, primary and secondary the stalk is not visible. Sinistrally coiled five capitulum and thousands of antherozoids. spirals cells, each of about 40 µm The central portion looks darker than the wide, making more than two turns peripheral zone. completely covers the body of oogonium except the apex and it is visible as AFFINITIES light coloured covering on both side (Fig. G, H I). Equatorial angle is about 13° Charophytes commonly known as Constriction of tube cell in both lateral sides stonewort are multicellular, macroscopic, are sharp and distinct (Fig. G arrow). It filamentous branched complex, non marine forms about 13-14 convolution. At the tip, green algae found in fresh to hypersaline tube cells forms a crown (only two seen in water. Unlike other algae their female Fig. H). reproductive parts are covered by sterile cells. Chyrophytes are phylogenetically Complete structure consists of centrally advanced as development of oogonium is placed ellipsoid central cell and of about 430 always superficially like bryophytes. In some µm X 210 µm in size. The central cell has a Charophytes spiral cells around oogonium large darker zone indicating an egg at the become calcified during ontogeny and top (Fig. G.) develop fossiliable structure known as (227) BIONATURE : 2018 Plate. 1. Chara palanense sp.nov. A. branchlet with two nodes (arrow) having longitudinal lines showing marks of cortical cells X 85. B. Branchlet of living Chara, with fertile organs originating from nodal portion (arrow), C. Drawing of branchlet with longitudinal ribs and two nodes X 85. D. Globule of fossil showing peripheral shield cells having constriction (arrow) between two neighbouring cells and central darker zone of manumbrium X 215. E. Globule of living Chara showing almost same structure, F. Drawing of globule indicating curved shield cells, manumbrium and mass of spermatozoids X 215. G–H. Nucule of fossil Chara clearly showing light coloured spiral cells on both sides (arrow) and central dark coloured oogonium at top corona represent by two tubercles (arrow) X 90.